Fancy somewhere different in east Europe Try Kaliningrad

It's rare in this day of cheap travel, particularly when people are becoming increasingly adventurous, that you can find an unusual place to visit in Europe. If you went backpacking around eastern Europe 15 years ago, the chances are your friends back home would not have heard of even half the places you journeyed to. But now it seems that everyone has been everywhere it's becoming harder and harder to be original with your holidays.

One place I'm considering visiting to get a unique experience in Europe is Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave on the Baltic Sea sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania. Formally known as Konigsberg, the historical destination is a mishmash of Russian and Germanic culture left relatively untouched by tourists, ensuring a much-more authentic eastern European travel experience.

Adrian Bridge of the Telegraph discussed a visit to Kaliningrad this week and said while it is not the easiest place to get around for English-speakers and might not compare favourably to its more prestigious neighbours of Gdansk, Riga and Lubeck, it is worth visiting while on a wider trip around the eastern European states.

"It rewards those that do come with a unique travel experience," he said. "This is a city with historical and geographical edge, and its story is one that goes to the core of the greatest confrontation of the 20th century. Almost 65 years on it is fascinating to see how that is still being played out."

For those interested in monuments and architecture, there is lots to see in Kaliningrad. Among its attractions are a statue of Immanuel Kant, a scaled-down version of the Brandenburg Gate and the brick gothic Konigsberg Cathedral.